(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to arrowheads for use in archery hunting, more particularly to an arrowhead which combines a fixed broadhead blade with two cutting edges and a pair of pivoting extendable blades.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Archery hunting has enjoyed an increased interest in recent years and this has been accompanied by innovations in equipment for use in archery. The two most important items of equipment for any archer are, of course, the bow and the arrow. A component of the arrow is the arrowhead, the most forward part of the arrow, attached to the shaft in some manner and generally including a sharpened point or cutting edges to allow the arrow to penetrate the target.
Since archery began in the distant past, it has been recognized that an effective arrowhead for hunting purposes must have a number of qualities. For one thing, a hunting arrowhead (combined with the arrow shaft and fletching) must provide for a stable and accurate flight so that the arrow can be accurately shot by the archer. A hunting arrowhead must also have good penetrating or cutting ability to allow it to enter the target. Finally, a hunting arrowhead must have good holding power to prevent it from coming too easily loose from the target.
Formerly, all arrows had arrowheads with one or more fixed blades. These could be broadly categorized as "field points" or "broadheads". A field point, used more for target archery than hunting, is a pointed, conical-shaped tip of various configurations where the widest diameter is equal to or less than the diameter of the arrow shaft, thereby showing no profile outside the arrowshaft as it would be viewed head-on in flight. Field points are not favored for hunting because their small penetrating cross-section provides limited cutting action.
Fixed broadhead blades are better for hunting. They are wide and flat, extending outside the diameter of the shaft of the arrow with razor sharp or knife cutting edges. These broadhead blades can extend well beyond the diameter of the arrow shaft and are typically shaped as triangles or pyramids, tapering wider as they extend toward the back end of the arrow. Various configurations of broadhead fixed blades are available, including arrowheads with two, three, four or more cutting edges. Fixed blade arrowheads with broadheads have exhibited a number of drawbacks. They are sometimes erratic in flight because of the aerodynamic properties of the broadhead blade surfaces. The cutting ability of such blades is also sometimes limited so that the arrow is deflected, or results in only a minor wound to the animal being hunted.
In an attempt to overcome the limitations of strictly fixed broadhead blade arrowheads, the prior art discloses arrowheads which include pivoted, movable blades. These movable blade devices are of various types, but generally they include two or more movable or expandable blades which are held in a retracted position tight to the arrowhead body while the arrow is in flight, and then moved into an open position when the arrow impacts with the target. Various United States patents have been issued for arrowheads with moveable blades. Some examples are: Steinbacher, U.S. Pat. No. 2,568,417; Rickey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,578,328; Cox, U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,657; Sprandel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,579; Savora, U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,455; Eddy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,744; Carlston, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,407; Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,709; Forrest, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,341 and Maleski, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,498.
The prior art discloses arrowheads with moveable blades in combination with field point type tips, for example, Maleski and Forrest, or limited fixed broadhead blades, with field point or "chisel" type tips, for example Johnson. Applicant is not aware of any prior art arrowheads combining moveable blades with a pure, fixed broadhead sharpened to or near the tip of the blade except for Stagg, U.S. Pat. No. 4, 940,246. While Stagg does disclose a combination of a fixed broadhead blade and a pair of opposed extendable blades, there are significant differences between the Stagg design and the Applicant's design.